The Crofts

2 Years Old!!

2011-02-05T22:47:00.001-07:00

Lily turned two years old yesterday! Oh. my. goodness.! As her parents, we are wondering how on earth the time went so quickly and how it came to be that our teeny, tiny baby girl has grown so big!

Today was her birthday party and, let me tell you, Lily has a LOT of fans. We had many guests at her party and Lily received SO many presents that she actually got bored opening them half way through! I had to beg her to come back and keep opening them...sheesh :)

We appreciate everyone who was able to come and celebrate her second year of life---it has been quite the journey!

Her cupcakes

The table settings

Blowing out her candles!

Eating her cupcake very delicately...she doesn't like to get messy!

Ethan and Marcus enjoying the goodies

My favorite picture! :)

Opening one of her many gifts

We are a happy family :)

Christmas: Part II

2011-01-15T10:39:00.014-07:00

The second half of Christmas was just as terrific as the first. We met at my parents' house and had lunch as a big family--Lily especially loves playing with all of her cousins. Then, came the moment the children had been eagerly waiting for...PRESENTS!!

Unfortunately, I did not do the greatest job taking pictures this time--I was too busy watching everyone open their gifts! But here a few shots that I did manage to get:

Opening a present with Daddy

Helping cousin Kaitlynn play with her presents

Cousin Kinzee

This Christmas has shown us exactly how ~~spoiled~~ loved Miss Lily truly is... ♥

Christmas 2010: Part I

2011-01-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Christmas this year was incredibly fun. In the weeks preceding Christmas, Lily made frequent "phone" calls to Santa Claus and told him that she wanted presents and toys. Despite the fact that she was actually terrified of any actual human Santa, she was pretty obsessed with talking about him (and still is, even though Christmas has passed).

This Christmas, Lily really "got it." She was extremely eager to get her hands on those presents--so eager that they didn't appear under the tree until Christmas morning, or they would have never lasted that long. We did a Christmas brunch with Brian's side of the family on Christmas morning (and yes, we made her eat breakfast first :) ), and then we all enjoyed watching Lily rip open her presents and exclaim "Clothes!" or "Book!"

It was too sweet.

Eager to get her hands on those gifts--plus, she has a thing for bows.

Her hammy smile

The magic of Christmas--and wrapping paper

She tried to preserve her paper pretty well :)

Yea! A flashlight!

Sliding down her new slide!

She made sure to offer her assistance to all other gift openers

Riding on her cool new Dora the Explorer big wheel. She can't quite reach the pedals yet. .

My mom has actually been very ill over the last few months. We had originally planned on having Christmas Eve with them, but she ended up being in the hospital until New Year's. So we will be having Christmas Part II this coming Saturday. I'm sure Lily will be spoiled even more and will have just as much fun! Stay tuned!

A Christmas Letter from Lily

2010-12-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Dearest Family and Friends,

Though I have trouble believing anyone does not know me at this point, I suppose I should begin by introducing myself. My name is Lily Clare Croft, adorable and mischievous daughter of Brian and Erica. Everywhere I go, people comment on my beautiful eyes and hair and, while my Mommy is just waiting for me to say, “I know! I’m so beautiful!” I currently just smile and wave hi to them.

I turned 22 months old on December 4, 2010. Can you believe how big I am getting? I heard Mommy saying something about me being two months away from being 2 years old—I thought I heard her whisper something about the world “terrible,” but surely she meant to say “terrific,” because I am getting terrifically independent by the day. I spend my days running around the house, taking all the pots and pans out of the cupboards, begging snacks (my Mommy seems to think I can only eat in my high-chair), reading books, and telling Mommy and Daddy interesting stories. What can I say? I guess I just like to stay busy...in fact, Mommy says that because I am so busy, I have “earned” my nap each day. Lucky for her, I like to sleep, otherwise I’d stay up all day playing.

Speaking of Daddy and Mommy, I guess I should tell you all a little bit about them. Daddy spends his days teaching other kids (though they aren’t nearly as cute as me) at Western Nebraska Community College and doing lots of grading—which makes him a little grumbly. I try to help him grade, but he says that my writing isn’t clear enough—which is funny, because his looks like chicken scratch. Daddy still takes time to read to me though, but only if I curl up next to him and Fufu, my best friend. Daddy sure loves lots of old stuff, but he always says that I’m the neatest new thing around. Mommy spends her days playing with me and working on that weird computer thing, though she says she’s doing homework. I heard her telling Daddy that she is tired of school, so I think she is going to take a break. I think that is a wonderful idea because now she can spend every minute of the day playing with me! She has been working on a second degree in English, so she can go and teach kids like Daddy does.

I also spend lots of time with my Grandma Barb, which I love! I go to her house a few afternoons a week to play with her. I also see my Yaya and Papa (Mommy’s parents) frequently and love to chase their puppy, Max, but sometimes I get in trouble for pulling his hair. I especially love when Aunt Mary and Uncle Ken bring my cousins over and I get to play with them—I can blame my naughtiness on someone else for a change! Uncle Colin and Yelena also come over to see me and I have fun showing them my latest toys and dance moves.

I did get to see this Santa guy everyone is talking about and, though he did make me cry (have you seen that beard?), Mommy and Daddy promised he’ll bring me lots of presents. I hope you get lots of presents too!

Merry Christmas,

Lily

Oh—and Mommy and Daddy, too.

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

2010-12-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, they are a bit late, but I thought I'd post some pictures from our Thanksgiving festivites. Once again, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year, and had about 20 family members show up and leave nice and full. :) I consider it a success as long as no one leaves hungry!

Lily, helping Mama make the cornbread stuffing! She loves to help me cook :)

The "girl" cousins: Kinzee (2), Kaitlynn (5), Lily (1)

A group action shot :)

The next morning, we packed up in the car and headed down to the Denver area to watch the Nebraska vs. Colorado game with Brian's extended family. We must not have been giving Lily enough credit because we expected a little more fussing in the car, but she was an angel. She read books, snacked, and played with toys--and didn't cry once on the 3 1/2 hour drive! Plus, Nebraska beat Colorado, so we couldn't have asked for a better trip--oh, and did I mention that there was excellent food and conversation? :)

Reading in the car

Family picture

Lily with cousin Eric

Lily and her new best friend, Sarah

Lily and her other new best friend--Holden :)

Now we are busily getting read for Christmas. The tree is up, the presents are bought and {mostly} wrapped, and Lily is talking about Santa Claus non-stop. We can't wait 'til she gets the chance to tear open those presents!!

Sickness and Snow

2010-11-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Winter (well, the cold weather, anyway) has officially arrived and, with it, so have germs and sickness! Lily spent five days with a fever--and though we don't really know what exactly she had, we are glad to report that she is *finally* starting to feel better.

She spent about a week or so doing a lot of laying around and sleeping (not that I'll necessarily complain about that), but it is always hard to see your little one not feeling well. Fufu and her thumb got quite a workout...

Her attempt at a smile...no way was that thumb coming out.

Taking a rest

After being cooped up for so long, I decided that, since she was feeling a bit better, we'd go and play in the snow this morning. Lily calls it "Noes" and she thinks that it is really interesting--to eat. She really doesn't understand why I keep putting mittens on her hands (after all, she has to use them), and repeatedly takes them off, then tells me her hands are cold. Oh well...she'll get it eventually!

She decided to just eat the mitten

Mmmm....snow!

I liked this one...baby footprints :)

She loves Mr. No-man

Trick or Treat 2010

2010-11-01T14:44:00.000-06:00

We definitely had a Happy Halloween! And, if I do say so myself, I believe we had the cutest lady bug in Nebraska!

Cheesing it up for the camera.

Miss Lily actually got a double dose of trick-or-treating, since The Village (where Grandma Barb lives) opens up for visitors on a separate night. We also went to Spooktacular at the zoo the same evening. All in all, she did a great job. We were afraid she wouldn't keep her costume on, but there were so many exciting things to look at that it was the least of her worries.

Getting ready to go!

Trick or treat!

Enjoying the fruits of her labor

At Spooktacular

Checking out the big pumpkins

Lily definitely enjoyed her self (and wore herself out)! Now we are just going to have to teach her that every day isn't Halloween!

Happy Halloween :)

2010-10-29T13:43:00.000-06:00

A laugh for the Halloween Weekend:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T21:43:00.000-06:00

With Halloween quickly approaching, we decided that we'd hop in the car and head over to Wyoming to check out the most popular pumpkin patch. We're glad we did!!

Lily got to play in a hay maze--where she could run to her heart's content and not escape! A parent's dream! :)

Case in point: Sprinting from Daddy

Oh! A tunnel...she loved that. She could fit through it--we couldn't.
Daddy had to sprint over the bales to catch her!

Tra-la-la-la

And, naturally, she spent much time pick up sticks, eating hay and corn stalks, and just getting generally dirty. As much as this girl loves "bracets" and "neckaces," she sure does love dirt!

Mmmm, dirt. Better rub it on my face.

Eating a stick with Daddy

She also got to, of course, pick pumpkins! And, she had a GREAT time playing in the "corn" box--it was like a sandbox full of corn kernels. Luckily, she refrained from eating these (amazing, since she LOVES corn) and had a ball interacting with the other kids.

This is the pumpkin she picked. Of course, she *had* to pick it up.

Posing with Mommy

The amazing corn box

Playing with other kiddos

In other news, Lily is talking up a storm!! She is starting to call us "Mommy" and "Daddy" now, instead of "Mama" and "Dada." Super cute. When Brian comes home from work, she runs to the front door and yells "Dad-deeeeeeeee!!!!" the whole way. You should see his face brighten!! I think he's been waiting for that for awhile. :)

I recently took a job selling Dove Chocolate. I am a Dove Chocolate Discoveries Independent Chocolatier--I sell exclusive Dove products and host chocolate tasting parties (can you say yummy job?). My first party will be on Friday--wish me luck! I'm hoping it will be a fun way to meet new people and make a little extra money...we'll see!

I've been feeling guilty about not exposing Lily to more kids...she always seems SO eager to play with them and so curious. So, it's also on my agenda to start meeting other Moms with kids her age and having more play dates...hopefully we'll be able to do that.

Brian is plugging along with this semester. He has a LOT of students, which equals a LOT of grading. I think he'll be especially happy when Christmas break rolls around this year.

That's about all in our world (at least, that I can currently think of)--hope everyone is doing well!

Playing at the Park

2010-10-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

Lily has a new obsession: The SLIDE!!! :) (Or, as she calls it, the "side!")

Weee!

Since the weather has been so nice (read: not hot!), we've been walking down to Frank Park these last couple of nights. Lily will put up with the long walk because we bribe her with a stop at the park and SLIDES!

She has started sliding down on her own now--she loves it!

But Daddy and Mommy still walk up the jungle gym with her

She also enjoys dancing on the merry-go-round

And pretending she's in prison

But mostly, she enjoys making Daddy go down the slides too.

Oh, and some swinging time with Mama

Nothing like a good evening out in the cooler temps--it's fun and free!! :)

Fall Fun

2010-09-27T15:46:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we took Lily to Wind Harvest Farms to pick fresh raspberries. Unfortunately, the raspberries weren't done, but Lily still had fun running around and playing in the hay fort!

Getting ready to go!

Do you think this child has enough hair?

Climbing around the Fort

Showing off how big she has gotten

Being a daredevil with Daddy

Don't you want to hold me??

Summer's End

2010-09-18T12:49:00.002-06:00

Well, as much as we hate to see her go, I think Summer is on her way out. We woke this morning to 40 degree temps--and, at 12:30 p.m. we are still hovering at 45 degrees. It is a great day for some Husker football, but a little saddening to think that our days of running around the backyard barefoot and swimming in the pool are gone until next year.

Enjoying the flowers while they're still here!

Lily *loves* picking the "owers"

We are doing well, otherwise. Lily and I are recovering from an early cold--probably due to the crazy temperature fluctuations we've been having. Brian is busily (and sometimes grudgingly) grading away. I'm still taking classes, though I'm considering taking a much needed break, if I can manage it without messing up my financial aid. Lily is talking more and more everyday! In fact, if she could, she'd tell all of you "Buh-bye!" right now. :)

It's Husker Season

2010-09-08T16:47:00.001-06:00

And Lily is ready!!

The prettiest little Husker fan!

And so are we! They did a good job winning the first game of the season, so we are looking forward to more W's!

Isn't Lily too cute? I should add, however, that the headband only stayed on for *this* picture...no way would she keep such a thing on her head for a few hours!

Where'd the bread go?

2010-08-20T14:53:00.001-06:00

Have you ever noticed that the older your toddler gets, the higher up everything in your house gets? The other day, we bought some fresh baked cheddar bread at the Morrill Farmer's Market. Lily had some with her dinner and she was a big fan.

Maybe a bigger fan than I thought...I was busying myself with some cleaning for a minute and, when I turned around, this is what I saw:

Hehe...she does look kind of like a Hillbilly baby here...

But still, it's cute!

On a side note, Brian thinks Lily looks like a poor hillbilly baby in these pictures. He is not a fan of her running around in *just* her diaper...but in my defense, she had just finished playing in the sprinkler...and I think it is cute!

Why do we spend money on expensive toys?

2010-08-11T15:23:00.001-06:00

I've decided recently, that we have doled out too much cash on toys for Lily. Will this stop us from continuing to do it? Probably not. However, Lily has decided that her toys are not interesting enough....why would they be, when you can play with these??

Chilling in a box

Playing with Fufu

What a good chair!

What do you mean this is for cooking?

So, if you are planning on having a child in the near future, I suggest that all you need to entertain a toddler is: pots and pans, laundry baskets, and boxes. Canned food and wooden spoons are also quite popular!! :)

Poo Corner

2010-08-05T14:04:00.000-06:00

Lily turned 18 months old yesterday--officially a year and a half! To my surprise, she has recently been starting to show signs of early potty-training readiness.

*Be prepared: we are now going to talk about poop.*

Brian and I have been laughing for awhile, because there is this specific corner in Lily's playroom that she will go to just to poo. In fact, it has gotten so poo-pular that Brian has actually dubbed it, "Poo Corner." About a week ago, I walked down into the room and smelled ~~something awful~~ that smell and asked Lily, "Did you go poo-poo?"

Lily held my hand as I escorted her up to her bedroom for a diaper changing, and the whole way up she kept saying, "Poo-poo..." I thought it was kind of cute, so I mentioned it to Brian and we decided that we would start saying the word every time Lily went--that way she would, hopefully, be able to connect the word with the action.

The next day, we decided to take Lily to the swimming pool and, not wanting to experience the horrible-ness of a dirty swim diaper, I told her, "Before we go to the pool, you need to go poo-poo, Lily." To my amazement, she went that very second. We were proud of her (yes, proud of her poo!), but not sure if she really did it because I told her to, or if it was mere coincidence.

Still, I could not help myself when I went shopping the other day, so I picked up the "Cushie Tushie"--a little toddler toilet seat, to go on the big toilet. Yesterday, we put Lily on it and told her to poo and she tried...but not much happened. We tried two other times and--yea!--she went, as she says, "Pee-pee!"

This morning, I walked down into her playroom once again and was greeted with a guilty look and "Poo-poo, poo-poo!" I am amazed that she has learned this concept so quickly!

That said, we are also in no hurry to start potty training. I still think she is too young to completely understand what she needs to do and I don't want to make this a frustrating experience for her. I've read that the most successful potty training occurs when you put your full effort into it around the toddler's 25 to 27 month mark, so we are just trying to introduce the world of the toilet to her at this point, as well as making her aware of what her body is doing.

On a side note, I got a good snicker today when I heard Brian discussing Lily's latest accomplishments with his brother. He suddenly chuckled and said, "When did it become okay to talk about this stuff? I guess kids make it okay..."

It's true. Nothing makes you happier to talk about (or commiserate) pee and poo than a toddler! :)

Food, Inc.

2010-07-28T15:22:00.001-06:00

The other night, Brian and I decided to watch the documentary, Food, Inc. All I have to say is...

Holy freak me out...!

Seriously, this film will change the way you think about food. For instance, did you know that, because humans like to eat white chicken breasts, chickens have now been genetically modified to have larger breasts? (Brian's comment on this: "Well, just like the rest of the world...") The problem is, chickens are being made to be SO fat that they cannot even walk two or three steps without taking a break.

AND, did you know that the ground beef you eat might have been injected with AMMONIA because it destroys E. coli? This is the ground beef that is sold to you at a fast food restaurant and fed to our children who participate in the federal school lunch program (just another reason to pack a lunch or homeschool...)

And this is just the beginning of several, horrifying bits of information that I was previously clueless about...I mean, I know that eating organically is "better" and I've already mentioned that we are eating grassfed beef because it is healthier and lower in saturated fat, and that we shop locally when we can, but this film has exposed so much more to me...

Buying organically in our area (where we have 3 shopping options: Safeway, a locally owned Co-Op store, and WALMART) is difficult, especially out of the Farmers' Market season, so what is a person to do? Luckily, we are able to find some locally farmed/produced food, thanks to PrairieBloom, but, overall, the task can be quite difficult.

And. that. is. scary. I implore you--watch this film!

I won!

2010-07-26T15:55:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, Jill, from the hilarious Mom Blog, Baby Rabies, hosted a giveaway on her new Party Blog, Party Lika A Kid. The winner, who would be selected by Random.org, would win 20 free BornFree sippy cups (10 Trainer Cups, and 10 Twist'N Pop Straw Cups).

And. I. Won. I NEVER win anything.

So, I was quite excited the day the package came, and ripped into the box, eager to give the new cups a try. Overall, I think that the cups are excellent--and I am especially fond of the fact that they are free of BPA, phalates, and PVC.

Here's a quick review:

The only thing that I would say that I don't like about the Twist'n Pop cup is that, if Lily throws it on the ground while she's drinking, the straw will leak. However, if you twist the lid close, it doesn't leak at all. So, I'm thinking that this will be an excellent cup as she gets a little older and learns not to throw it on the ground (that will happen, right?) or learns to close it herself.

The Trainer Cup is also great. I just wish I had won this a few months back when we were first introducing the sippy to her! It has a soft spout and is great for preventing ear infections. She may be a little old for this now (she tries to bite the spout off) but we are still using it for milk/juice during the day. I think it would be an excellent beginner's cup as you transition from bottle to sippy.

The coolest part? Lily loves the straw, so whenever she doesn't want to drink something, all I have to do is put it in her new "big girl" straw cup! Oh, and did I mention that they were FREE?? :) I would definitely recommend checking out the BornFree site if you aren't familiar with them. They have some really cool products!

Body Love ♥

2010-07-21T21:01:00.000-06:00

So, today, I did something that I have been putting off for at least the last 18 months. I kept putting it off, thinking, "I should just keep them around. You know, for that magical day I finally shed this baby weight..."

I cleaned out my pre-baby wardrobe.

Because, I have to face it. I don't look like that ^ anymore...not to mention, I probably won't need to wear such teeny-bopper clothing anymore (or, at least, I tell myself this to feel a little better).

Seriously, though, I have finally reached the conclusion that after 9 months of baby-carrying, I will most likely not be going back to my size three body.

So, I finally did it. I threw all the clothes onto the floor and stuffed them in a bag for Goodwill. (By the way, if you are a junior's size small, you might want to go to Goodwill, as they will be getting A LOT of good stuff soon).

I feel like I'm trapped in a funny in-between land---I don't know how to shop. I can wear a junior's size large or a Misses size small or medium, depending on the fit. In fact, I actually had to ask a friend of mine how Misses'and Women's sizes worked...I've never shopped in that department before! It is a struggle to find clothes that fit me and are not teenager or grandma. They need to create a department called Young Hip Mom...and then direct me to it.

For instance, right after I had Lily, I decided it was time to ditch the maternity jeans and go shopping for real pants. I cautiously went to the store, making the decision to shop in Misses', so that my new curves wouldn't feel so big. I bought a pair of jeans that looked okay in the dressing room and headed home.

The next day, I wore them, excited to wear something with an actual zipper and button. However, I looked down when I was sitting and realized something..."OMG...I'm wearing MOM jeans." The jeans went over my belly and had a really long zipper and extra material...

So, through trial and error, I've begun to gain a *new* wardrobe that seems somewhat young and appropriate for a mother. Not lying though...it hasn't been easy.Weight loss has been a slow struggle and I've had to come to the realization that having a baby, at least for me, means that my body is going to change (yeah, I so totally dislike you women who bounce right back into your pre-prego jeans...you're freaks of nature and I'm jealous).

However, I also began to realize that my body can still be beautiful--and so can I. And, what's even more important is that I know that my body has the amazing power to birth a wonderful human being and survive the aftermath that is parenting.

Lily's Hair

2010-07-16T17:08:00.002-06:00

Since the day Lily was born, people have always commented on her hair. While many babies are born bald, she was born with a whole head full, sticking straight up in a million directions. Being a big-haired woman myself, I loved the fact that I'd have a little girl who could wear bows and pigtails before she was three...

The problem is, Lily doesn't like bows or pigtails...

Well, perhaps I should rephrase that--Lily loves to eat bows and pony-tail holders--she just doesn't like them in her hair. So, we've reached a conundrum. It's summer and it is HOT--and Lily's poor little head is just as warm. She also hates when the wind blows her hair in her face and she can't see--but she won't let me put her hair up and out of her way.

My little big haired girl

I don't want to cut her hair. There is something sentimental about knowing that she still has the same hair on her head that she had the day she was born...but I also don't want her to be uncomfortable. Brian feels the same way--he even suggested that maybe it was time.

What do you all think? Should we--eek--cut it? Or should I keep battling her until she submits to pigtails and pretty bows?

Wordless Wednesday*

2010-07-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

The Goose laugh:

And, for some more smiles, Lily's ham face:

Who Needs A Nap??

2010-07-12T21:02:00.001-06:00

I do! Especially after the last few days we've had with Miss Lily. She has decided, quite suddenly to go on a nap strike. It came out of nowhere--the day before, she slept all night, and took two one-hour naps like usual. So, the next day, we put her down for her regular morning nap and went downstairs, fully expecting her to eventually fall asleep like always.

Within minutes, we began to hear loud clunking noises.

"Clunk. Hahahah! Clunk. Hahaha."

We looked at each other and then snuck upstairs. This is what we saw:

Toys..everywhere but the crib

Apparently (and rightly so), Lily thinks that if she throws everything out, including (and especially) her precious Fufu (which she then calls out for, very sadly: "Oooof...oooof..."), we will come running. Which we do. At first, I thought this may be her, feeling out of sorts. Surely by the time her afternoon nap rolled around she'd be super exhausted and would just conk out.

"Clunk. Hahaha. Clunk. Oooof..."

This looks familiar

Guess not. She has napped sporadically since then. Sometimes she'll take her morning nap, sometimes not. Sometimes she'll nap twice, most of the time--not. I suppose it is time for that new transition. I'm not too excited about this one.

In other news, I lost my phone today. I looked everywhere. In my purse, on the table, in the couch cushions. It was no where to be seen. Finally, I complained to Brian and asked him to call it. Since Lily is so infatuated with Elmo, I changed my ringtone to "Elmo's World," so she could dance to it every time someone calls. After a few seconds I heard, "Lalalala, lalalala, Elmo's World..." coming from a very muffled place. Lily started doing the Elmo jig. Again, "Lalalala, lalalala, Elmo's World..." The sound got louder...I approached Brian's shoe....

Ah...there's my phone.

and discovered my phone. I wonder how it could have ended up there?

What a big girl...

2010-07-07T16:27:00.001-06:00

I am in awe of how big my baby girl has suddenly gotten. It just hit me at a random moment the other day. I was sitting on the couch and she was in her high chair snacking on some crackers. I suddenly noticed that her legs actually stretched all the down the high chair and to the foot rest...the first time we put her in her chair, her feet barely peeked out of the leg holes. Sigh.

That's not all. She is growing up and starting to understand things. This morning, Brian was getting her dressed and she picked up an ear thermometer, stood up on her table, and put it in her Daddy's ear. It's sad that she knows what to do with a thermometer (thank you, evil ear infections), but it is amazing that she's now able to see the object and know what its "job" is.

Sometimes I wonder where the time has gone! But, I have to admit, this "stage" is quite fun and entertaining. It is adorable to watch her feed her Fufu and give him kisses "ni-ni". It's funny to watch her try to learn to jump with both feet off the ground. And it is hilarious to hear her do her goose laugh (seriously, she sounds like a honking goose and does it on command).

Cute as ever

Smiling with Mommy

I'm just still amazed at the well-known fact that babies grow up. It'll hit me someday...

Oh Behave!

2010-07-03T16:02:00.001-06:00

I have noticed that Lily has gotten purposefully naughty lately. Before, she used to do naughty things, like eat paper or pull the kitty's (or as she says the "Ditty!") tail out of curiosity. She was really curious by what the paper might taste like or what the Ditty would do if she yanked that hairy thing that came from his bottom.

Now, however, it is a totally different story. She will go out of her way to find a piece of paper she knows she is not supposed to have, look at me, and take a bite.
The following scene generally ensues:

Me: "Lily! Give that to Mommy! Spit!"

Lily: Runs away as fast as she can.

Me: Runs after her, catches her, and says, "Spit!"

Lily: Spits, then lays on the ground and throws a fit (you'd think I'd just tortured her precious Fufu or something).

She is also quite fond of pulling my hair, and occasionally pinching and biting. For some reason, telling her "Owie! That hurts!" just makes her smile and pull/bite/pinch harder. I've tried to "teach" her that it isn't nice by doing virtually everything: ignoring her, moving her and distracting her with a toy, and, upon suggestion and frustration, even swatting her hand once. None of it worked. When she has the naughty desire, it seems she can't be swayed.

I'm wondering if a 17 month old is too young for an occasional timeout? My instinct is that she is, since she probably won't understand it, but I'm running out of suggestions...let me know, as you read this, if you have any magical "naughty-ness" cures...

Silly Lily--standing on her head

I do feel compelled to mention that, for the most part, she is a good and happy little girl--she just has an occasional streak of naughtiness that I'm sure she gets from her father.. :)

The Wonderful One Year Old

2010-06-24T13:30:00.001-06:00

Lily will turn 17 months old on July 4th, and I have got to say, she has reached a very fun and lovable age. She willingly gives smooches and snuggles, dances on command and anytime she has the desire, feeds her stuffed animals and dollies, crawls up on everything, and says "peas" anytime she wants something.

She is quickly turning into more of a "toddler" and less of a "baby" (although, we will always call her our baby) and with this new found autonomy, we are discovering a little girl who know what she wants--and when she wants it. In fact, we were just discussing the other day whether or not it was a good thing that we taught her "please" because anytime she sees anything she wants it is, "Peas...peas...PEAS....!!" The problem is, hearing her say, "Peas!" is so darn cute that we can rarely say no...after all, she is using her manners and wouldn't it be confusing to say no when she was so polite? :)

Cute but naughty... :)

Last week, I decided it would be a "good" idea for us to travel 3 1/2--4 hours to Denver, to go to the Ocean's Journey Aquarium. Lily did surprisingly well on the trip to Denver the night before the trip, taking a nap for about an hour and then, as much as we hate to admit, watching "Elmo's World" on DVD. Now, we don't normally advocate for lots of TV watching--and I'll admit that we even had plans on restricting her TV viewing completely until she turned two. But...well...it didn't happen. And she loves Elmo, who she lovingly refers to as "Ba." So, we were able to travel another hour (in peace) while she was transfixed with her precious "Ba."

The night at the hotel was okay. She was not too fond of her pack and play (she's never really slept in it) and would not sleep since she could see us in our bed from hers. So we read to her until she fell asleep and quietly snuck her into her bed. The next morning, she woke up about 6:00 am and decided that, because we were in her line of sight, she absolutely would not continue to sleep.

Look at that smile!

We dragged ourselves out of bed, managed to find enough food at the continental breakfast that would be suitable for a picky 1 year old, packed up the car, and drove to the Aquarium. Lily loved seeing all the "Fissies" and enjoyed walking through the aquarium and splashing in the puddles (although, I'm not sure why there was so much water OUTSIDE of the glass).

Looking at the fishies

Posing in the lilies

It was not until the trip home that we were met with the nightmare. We headed home, with Lily napping happily in the backseat. We figured we'd get at least an hour and could hopefully make it to Cheyenne, Wyoming, before she had a totally backseat meltdown, at which point we'd plug the DVD player back in and stop for lunch.

Boy, were we wrong. We hit standstill traffic right outside of Loveland. In fact, the traffic was SO still, that we only travelled FOUR miles in ONE hour. And, thanks to the sudden stop, Lily promptly woke up. I was able to distract her for most of the time with some apple juice in a juice box (which makes her feel like a big girl). But, when we finally exited to Fort Collins, an hour past her normal lunch time, all she wanted to do was get out of the car. She certainly did not want to eat. In fact, she made this very obvious by flinging every morsel of food we put near her. Our waiter was nice, although we could not help but feel sorry for the poor guy who had to clean up her mess. She spit out every drink we gave her and basically began yelling for her release. Finally, I told Brian to just box up our food and that I'd take her to the parking lot to play. After an hour of going no where, I had no desire to do anything but get home.

Luckily, Lily slept for most of the ride home. She woke up about 3 miles from home, which certainly was a nice surprise for us. In fact, I think she would have been quiet all the way home if I hadn't turned around an caught her digging in my leftover Shrimp Primavera...that's right, red sauce all over the backseat, Lily, and her car seat. Sigh.

Sleeping in the car

But, what can I say? Despite all of her shenanigans, we absolutely adore her! We just may not take any family vacations until she is a tad older....

it's a struggle for a family picture

We are just one happy family--as long as we aren't making her do what she doesn't want to do!

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T20:52:00.001-06:00

Today is Brian's 2nd Father's Day--however, since he went to Minnesota last year on Father's Day, it was the first time we got to celebrate as a family. We did not do anything extraordinarily special--we just spent the day together enjoying our happy little family of three. I am so glad to have him next to me as I parent and I could not imagine navigating this life without him right by my side. I love you, honey, and I love how much you love me and our precious Lily.

Holding newborn Lily

Daddy's little girl

Kissing :)

Reading, their favorite pastime

So sweet...

Oh the WEATHER!!

2010-06-08T20:52:00.001-06:00

The last two weeks have been quite traumatic on the weather front!! First, we had a massive hail storm a few weeks back, with hail as big as a golf ball:

Brian, holding the hail

When this hail was coming down, we were just amazed. It was like we were sitting inside of a tin can--that's how loud it was! Luckily, the flower garden, at this point, was not heading out, so we had minimal flower/vegetable damage. We did, however, have significant car damage, which was definitely an unpleasant surprise...

Then, last night at about 7:00 p.m. the sky began to turn black and swirly. At first, I told Brian that I thought we'd be fine if we stayed upstairs and finished dinner, but, within minutes, the sky became even more ominous and a gigantic wall cloud sat virtually on top of our house. That's when the sirens began to wail.

We quickly trucked it to the bottom level of the house, Lily in tow. She was not very happy about being trapped in a small interior room and kept trying to climb back up the stairs. Within minutes, the hail started. This time, it pelted the north side of our home, actually cracking a window in Lily's bedroom. Lily became concerned at the loud noise at this point--and I don't blame her. The hail was hitting the basement windows so hard I was honestly concerned that it would shatter.

We had the storm radio on throughout the storm. The weatherman reported that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground throughout the Scottsbluff area--although, luckily for us, it seemed to avoid our neighborhood.

That is not to say there was no damage...our yard was an absolute wreck. Many of our flowers are bent and broken from the hail and intense winds. The houses across from us suffered multiple window breaks and will most likely need roof repairs. My car, yet again, got dented. Reports from the entire town were even worse: a trailer park is being condemned after many of the trailers were destroyed, the roof of a local car lot blew off, and several power lines were down.

Here is a video from a storm chaser that I got off of YouTube (it does have the camera strap blocking the view in a part of it)--I believe it is just between Scottsbluff and Minatare on Highway 26 (or I'm guessing from the landmarks)--which is just miles from our house:

Attachment Parenting

2010-05-25T22:09:00.000-06:00

I became familiar with Bowlby and Ainsworth's Attachment Theory during my coursework in psychology and researched it in more depth throughout the last year as I was working on my Master's in Counseling. In short, the theory posits that infants (and adults) develop an attachment to their primary caregivers. A "healthy" attachment is generally formed when parents respond sensitively and lovingly during interactions with the child. This is called "secure" attachment. Children who develop a secure attachment to their caregivers are comfortable exploring their environment--they often grow up to be leaders, high achievers, develop a sense of empathy for others, and have a positive self-concept, listing just a few of the many positive benefits.

When parents do not respond or barely respond to a child, the child may develop an "avoidant" attachment, where he or she avoids contact with the caregiver. If the caregiver is inconsistent, being loving at one moment and neglectful the next, the child may develop an "ambivalent" attachment, where he or she is distressed when the parent leaves but then, upon the parent's return, acts angry and reluctant to interact with the parent. Finally, children can have a "disorganized" attachment, displaying contradictory responses to the parent's interactions...children who display this attachment style often have parents who are highly intrusive, frightening, and abusive.

Obviously, most parents would strive to raise a child who is securely attached. While an early insecure attachment does not necessarily mean that the child will never develop secure relationships with others, if this style continues throughout childhood and into adulthood, it is more likely that the person will have difficulty forming healthy relationships, developing a positive social identity, and makes them more vulnerable to high risk behaviors (drinking, drugs, sex). The children with the worst outcomes are those labelled "disorganized." These children are often aggressive or completely withdrawn and are more likely to develop personality disorders and abusive tendencies in adulthood.

Therefore, as parents, Brian and I have decided to do our best at raising a securely attached baby girl. Attachment Parenting has emerged from Attachment Theory and it lists 8 Principles of Parenting (according to Attachment Parenting International), developed to create strong and caring connections between parents and children.

1. Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting
It is important for parents to prepare themselves emotionally for the arrival of their little bundle of joy, as well as to educate themselves on the stages of child development and develop realistic expectations.

2. Feed with Love and Respect
As we all know, breastfeeding is the most ideal way to feed an infant, because it creates closeness and gives the baby "skin to skin" contact. However, as I discovered when I was unable to get Lily to breastfeed, bottle feeding can still meet these needs if the parent holds the child closely and mimics breastfeeding behaviors.

3. Respond with Sensitivity
Develop a strong and trusting relationship with your child early. Listen to what the baby is "telling" you and respond appropriately. Babies and toddlers need to learn how to regulate their emotions properly, and they learn from the way their parents respond. Responding with sensitivity encourages empathy and trust in others.

4. Use Nurturing Touch
A loving touch makes a baby feel loved, secure, and meets a baby's need for physical contact. So, give your baby all the hugs and kisses that you want!!

5. Ensure Safe Sleep, both Emotionally and Physically
Be responsive to your baby's needs throughout the night. This might mean that you need to re-evaluate your sleeping arrangements. Is your baby comfortable in their crib/bed? Are you comfortable with a co-sleeping arrangement?

6. Provide Consistent and Loving Care
Continually show your child that you love them. Keep them on a flexible schedule and, if seeking outside childcare, pick someone who will be able to develop a strong relationship with the child.

7. Practice Positive Discipline
Don't just react to behavior--figure out what is causing it. Work with the child to create solutions to the problem and this will help the child develop a conscience and internal model for behavior while, at the same time, allows the parent to be empathetic and loving towards the child. This is why we choose not to spank...

8. Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life
In order to take care of your family well, it is important to take care of yourself! This will help you respond better to each family members' individual needs and help you be more emotionally responsive.

This is our chosen style of parenting. We realize there are other methods and styles used by people that we love; ultimately, each family needs to discover what works best for them and allows them to become a loving and productive family system.

A Must Read...

2010-05-22T21:09:00.000-06:00

Last Fall, I borrowed a book from my mother-in-law, Barb, called Three Cups of Tea. The book discusses the work of Greg Mortenson, a former mountaineer who, while attempting to climb K2 in Pakistan, stumbled into a small town called Korphe (KOR-FAY) and was nursed back to health by the villagers, who were extremely isolated from the outside world. This isolation also meant that the children and the adults of the village were largely uneducated and illiterate--yet, they strived for education. Greg made a promise that he would, somehow, come back to Pakistan and build a school for the children of Korphe. This endeavor launched the non-profit organization, the Central Asia Institute (CAI), that has subsequently built many schools all over the most rural regions of Pakistan.

So...you may be wondering why building schools in a foreign country makes for interesting reading. Well, it is not just that the people of Pakistan want to educate their children--they also want to educate their girls and provide a secular, non-extremist education. Greg Mortenson believes that the best way to combat terrorism in this country is by bringing education and, thus, hope, to the most remote areas of the country. It is through education, not bombs and war, that the War on Terror will be won. For instance, in many areas where the government has not funded schools, madrassas (or Islamic schools) funded by extremist groups have sprung up. Because the people in the areas are so eager for an education and this is their only option, their children are sent to these schools and are often indoctrinated with an extremist education--which fuels terrorism.

However, as much as I liked Three Cups of Tea, the book I really LOVED was the sequel, Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Unlike the first book, which was co-authored and written in the third person, Stones into Schools was actually written by Greg Mortenson in the first person. In the second novel, Greg talks about his efforts, along with the "Dirty Dozen"--twelve men from Pakistan and Afghanistan who work for the CAI--to build schools in the war-torn country of Afghanistan, where the infrastructure is basically gone and the Taliban are still rampant.

This book goes beyond building schools to limit terrorism--it also discusses the broader idea of what it means to educate a woman. In the novel, Greg discusses the "Girl Effect," which goes by the idea that, if you "educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a community." This may sound very feminist but he offers some very real and important examples. First of all, the women who acquire at least a fifth grade education raise their lifetime earnings significantly and, if they go on in their education, especially if they seek an education in maternal health care, the infant mortality rate and death during childbirth goes down dramatically. Also, women who are receiving an education are more likely to put off pregnancy until they are finished with school, which means they have fewer children, slowing population growth.

Moreover, in the Muslim world, it is not uncommon for sons to seek their mothers' approval before joining extremist groups. According to Mortenson, as a rule, educated women/mothers almost always say no. So--by educating a woman, it is much more likely that her family will not join an extremist group.

The CAI also discusses how they operate differently from a "typical" NGO. Instead of starting in a heavily populated area and working their way out, the CAI goes backwards--they start with the most rural areas and work their way in. This allows the most isolated and, often, deprived, communities to receive schools first.

The book, on the whole, is an excellent read that I definitely recommend to anyone who would like a different look and approach at the war on terror. It is a story about building relationships, respecting differences, and, most importantly, a story about hope that true change can occur in a country that has been at war in some shape or form for decades.

The "Bump": A Hemangioma Update

2010-05-08T22:03:00.003-06:00

Nearly a year ago, we were making endless and exhausting visits to doctors. When Lily was 7 weeks old, we noticed a small bump on her head. We were not sure what it was at first--I thought maybe she had been bitten by a spider or, maybe, she'd somehow bumped her head on one of our shoulders. However, within a week, this "bump" became quite swollen. Here is an early picture of the bump on March 26, 2009:

March 26, 2009

About a week later, we took her to the doctor, because the bump did not appear to be looking any better. It was a Saturday, and we had driven down to Scottsbluff from Hemingford (about an hour drive), so we took her to Urgent Care and saw the doctor that was on-call. He "diagnosed" her with an infected hair follicle and prescribed an antibiotic to clear it up. Within the week, Lily had severe diarrhea and was subsequently diagnosed with C-difficle colitis, a result of all of the "good" bacteria being killed in her intestines by the antibiotic.

To make matters worse, when we took her to her regular GP, he was certain the bump was not an infected hair follicle. He believed it was a sebaceous cyst that would go away on its own. We, however, were beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable. Here is a picture of it on April 17, 2009:

April 17, 2009

Not believing that this was a sebaceous cyst that would just "go away" we decided to make an appointment with a dermatologist in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We drove through a horrific Spring snow storm to attend this appointment, almost missing it because the weather was so terrible. We knew that we would go crazy if we didn't receive some answers. And soon.

The dermatologist examined Lily and said she believed Lily had a dermoid cyst--a cyst filled with fluid, hair, bone, etc.. She said that, because it was close to the midline of her face, there was a slight chance that the cyst could be leading to her brain. If that was the case, she would need surgery.

We were, obviously, terrified. We hadn't expected anything like this. The next step was to make an appointment at the Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado, for an MRI. The MRI itself was a fiasco. The tech signed us up for a "feed and sleep" so, instead of anesthetizing Lily (which we definitely didn't want to do), they thought that she was young enough (3 months, at this point) to eat and then get sleepy enough to sleep through the MRI. Of course, she was not tired after her feeding (we thought we'd lucked out, because she had slept the entire 4 hours to Denver). Our appointment was at 7:00 pm. Finally, at 10:00, Lily crashed out and we were able to complete the (very loud) scan. Thankfully, the tech was very flexible with us, because I was on the verge of bursting into tears after hours of rocking her and trying to get her to sleep! Not to mention, we would have had to reschedule for a different day--and make the drive all over again.

The next day, we met with the neurosurgeon. To make a long story short, he informed us that the "cyst" was actually a tumor--most likely a hemangioma, and she would need it removed as soon as possible.

We. were. shocked.

We hadn't done our research on tumors--just cysts. We went home and the surgery was scheduled for a week and a half later. I tried not to think about it. Upon our arrival the day before the surgery, the surgeon entered the room for Lily's pre-op appointment. This time, he brought the plastic surgeon, who is also a member of the vascular malformation clinic, into the room.

The plastic surgeon took one look at Lily and determined that she did not need surgery--he said that it was far too dangerous because of all of the blood vessels involved, and that they typically resolve on their own. A hemangioma, moreover, is a fairly common birthmark (as many as 1 out 10 infants had them), often called a "strawberry mark" when located on the skin. Lily's, however, was more rare (1 out of 100) and was a deep hemangioma, located under the skin.

Here she is on May 30, 2009, right after they cancelled her surgery.

May 30, 2009

Here is a picture of her on June 30, 2009:

June 30, 2009

I was shocked by the doctor's statement--confused about why a surgery was scheduled in the first place and worried that they might have it wrong--again. I went home and did research...a lot of research. I found an organization that had an "experts" page and gave them all of our information.

To my surprise, I was contacted by two DOCTORS--not nurses--within a few days. One doctor informed me that, because of the hemangioma's location (near the eye) and the likelihood that it would continue growing, we should have it removed immediately. Another, who was the "number one" expert in the field, recommended an experimental medication or surgery.

I was confused and panicked. I was terrified she'd go blind or end up with a lazy eye (which the doctor told me was a real possibility), tired of people commenting on her "bruise" and looking at me like I might have dropped my child, and torn that my baby had to go through this. I did not like the idea that she'd have this thing on her head until she was in late elementary school and would possibly be teased by children at school--but I did not like the idea of flying to New York or Boston for surgery or giving her a medication that is not meant to be given to infants.

Finally, my dear husband urged me to stop doing all the research. He said we need to take her to an opthamalogist and have her vision checked and decide if it was a real threat.

It wasn't. So I took a breath.

A few months later, in September, we took her back to Children's to the Vascular Malformation Clinic. They told us that the normal progression of a hemangioma was this: It emerged and grew very quickly, peaking in size by age one to eighteen months. By age two, we would notice some involution (where it would go back into the skin), although this would be a very slow process. Most children notice a significant change by age 5, while almost all notice complete involution by age 10. By kindergarten, the plastic surgeon said, Lily might need a small reconstructive surgery to repair her eyebrow--which had been stretched and disfigured.

I told them about all of the information I'd been given by the "experts" and asked why we were receiving conflicting information. They knew of the doctors that I spoke of, and informed me that they would cut anything that moved...which made me feel relieved that I did not push for an unnecessary surgery (with that said, however, I do realize that these same doctors may very well operate on children when it is deemed medically necessary--that is an entirely different story. For Lily, her bump was more of a cosmetic issue and it did not pose any actual risk to her vision or overall health).

We felt better. We could breathe. We could stop going to doctors and fearing the worst. And, together, we could wait this out and love Lily for the beautiful and amazing little girl she is. And, to our amazement, the hemangioma began to get smaller and smaller....

Here she is on December 5, 2009, at 10 months:

December 5, 2009

And at 14 months on April 26, 2010:

April 26, 2010

And, finally, on May 3, 2010, a day away from her 15th month birthday:

May 3, 2010

It is practically gone! And we waited--no surgery. What should have happened at age 5 happened by at age 1. Thank goodness we were patient and believed in each other...we are a much stronger family because of it!!

If you have any questions about our journey or are feeling conflicted about your own, please leave me a comment. I'd love to provide any kind of support I can. . .

Grass Fed Beef: A Small Step to a Healthier Life

2010-04-22T19:13:00.001-06:00

Recently, I've been becoming more and more interested in finding ways to feed my family that are both nutritionally sound and more natural. For instance, when Lily made the transition to whole milk, we seriously discussed the possible dangers of "regular" milk, which can be full of antibiotics like Bovine Growth Hormone. To avoid any unknown dangers, we chose to spend a few extra dollars each time we bought a gallon of milk to provide her with organic, and antibiotic free, milk.

However, the more research I do, the more I realize that antibiotics are rampant in our food. It is in milk, chicken, pork, eggs, beef, etc. .and, as a result, humans are ingesting more antibiotics than many of us realize, creating "superbugs" that are immune to traditional antibiotic treatment. I have made every effort that I can to buy organic milk, eggs laid by chickens given vegetarian diets with no antibiotics, antibiotic free chicken, and the like; however, it has been especially difficult to find beef that is free of antibiotics.

Why is this? It is because most beef is corn fed (which, with genetically engineered corn, can be even more unhealthy for humans). Cattle are fed corn because their owners would like them to be slaughtered at much younger ages. Therefore, in order to fatten them up faster, ranchers and feed-lot owners literally have to change the cow's digestive habits. To do this, cattle have to continually be fed antibiotics to avoid feed-lot bloat and acidosis.

Not only is corn-fed beef filled with antibiotics, it is also more fattening than grass-fed, "natural" beef. While the USDA might grade beef based on marbling with intramuscular fat, the fact that this beef is worse for humans and loaded with saturated fat goes unnoticed. Grass fed beef is lower in saturated fat and higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, making it more heart healthy and leaner than corn-fed beef.

We have decided, then, that we are going to start buying grass fed beef from a local vendor. We feel that, it is not only a healthier decision, it is also more environmentally friendly (pastured cattle are less polluting, since waste goes back into the land) and more humanitarian (cattle are not forced to live in confinement or feed lots). Because we cannot, at this point, commit to becoming vegetarians (we do love meat!), we feel this is one of the healthier alternatives.

Finally....an UPDATE!!

2010-04-20T15:10:00.005-06:00

Wow! Have things gotten busy in our household! I apologize for neglecting the blog...but rest assured, it is not the only thing that has gone neglected over the last few months (I'm thinking of housework, in particular)!

The last time I blogged, it was just after Thanksgiving. We had a great Christmas break. Lily, as you can imagine, got immensely spoiled with her first Christmas. We now have more toys than we know what to do with! Brian and I, thankfully, also got a nice break from grading and studying--which we appreciated very much. Here is a picture of Lily on Christmas Eve, looking quite festive:

Posing on Christmas Eve

Reading a book!

And, above, is a picture of her doing one of her favorite things--READING. She loves to read! She is also, at 14 months, developing quite a vocabulary (she says, ball, mama, dada, flower, keys, cheese, woof woof, and lots more).

Lily also celebrated her first birthday on February 4th--it was hard to believe. She began walking right around the same time and is now quite the pro. Right after Christmas she developed her first cold, which was no fun! Unfortunately for her unknowing parents, this was just the beginning of a string of ear infections. Actually, she did not get several ear infections, she just had one VERY resistant double infection that would not respond to oral antibiotics. The weekend of her birthday party she started running high fevers (104. 5) . Eight days and one hospital stay later, both of her eardrums ruptured and, finally, the fevers subsided. Unfortunately, the infection did not, so a few weeks later she had tubes put in her ears to help the fluid drain. So far, we have had no further problems (keep your fingers crossed!).

Here's a picture of her on her 1st birthday:

Not feeling too good, but giving that cake a try!

Apart from that, she is just one big troublemaker... :) But that is a one year old for ya!

She's into EVERYTHING!

How cute is this?

Brian and I are doing pretty well. We are trying to get the house and the yard ready for Spring, which is proving to be a big task. Brian's still teaching at WNCC and I am about to finish my second semester of grad school. I have, however, decided that I am going to put graduate school on hold for awhile. The decision was difficult, but, as a result of coaching the speech team this year, I have decided that I would like to become a secondary teacher. I am planning on earning an English endorsement and then beginning a transition to teaching program. Wish me luck!! It is a pretty major change in direction for me--which can be a little frightening at times.

That's all the news in our life for now. I will try to be better at updating in the future!

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-27T18:47:00.003-07:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was, thankfully, quite successful. We hosted 23 family and friends and had more food than you could imagine! Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves and left feeling satiated (at least, for the time being!) Here are some photos from the event:

My first endeavor: the turkey! It turned out quite well :)

Lily, trying some turkey and mashed potatoes.

ALL of the food!

What a Ham! (Or, perhaps I should call her a turkey!)

Getting Ready for Turkey Day

2009-11-23T13:04:00.006-07:00

We are eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving day this year. It is mine and Lily's "first" Thanksgiving--I'm hosting!! :) Lily has a special Thanksgiving bib that she has been pointing at since we bought it, so she is very excited to finally be able to wear it! We are also ready for the short vacation that this holiday provides and a good (hopefully) beating of Colorado by the Huskers!

Lily is as busy as ever. There is now no "break." She is in constant motion. In fact, we bought her a play-pen (aka, baby jail) so that we can get bathroom breaks and other quick chores done without worrying about her crawling down the stairs or getting into some other type of mischief.

Baby jail

She doesn't like it one bit, as you could imagine! But, we tell ourselves it is a necessary evil :)

Lily has also been experimenting with new finger foods. We had one scare where she choked on some Gerber puffs (because she shoveled five in at once) but it all ended happily. She LOVES any food that she can eat herself! We are hoping that all the practice makes her Thanksgiving meal even more exciting.

That's about all our news. I am trying to plan the Morrill Speech Meet and still plugging along at school. I think we have about 2 1/2 weeks left, so almost done!! Brian is also done at about that time, so Christmas break is much anticipated at this point!

Here are some recent pictures:

Having fun in the high chair after a yummy meal!

FINALLY napping! :)

Ready to go!

Showing off her newly refined eating skills!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Recent Lily Highlights!

2009-11-15T09:57:00.003-07:00

Halloween in pictures

2009-11-10T20:55:00.005-07:00

Sad bunny!

Posing with Mama

Showing off her bunny teeth

Munchin' on a carrot

This carrot tastes funny...

Fall

2009-10-26T15:11:00.004-06:00

Hello all!

We have been as busy as ever! Especially with Lily's newly acquired skill--crawling! She is everywhere, into everything, and has one amazing reach! I swear, there is nothing that this child cannot grab if she sets her mind to it. In one word, she is INDEPENDENT (except for the whole diaper changing, not yet walking part) :) She pulls up to a standing position any time she can, so I think it won't be long before she starts toddling around the house. Agh!!

We have had a crazy Fall already--we had a foot of snow one weekend and 70 degree temps the next! Only in Nebraska! Brian is busily teaching and I am still working away on my Counseling degree, as well as coaching Speech students in my spare time. As you can imagine, the idea of "spare" time is distant...

Here are some cute pictures:

Lily in her snowsuit the weekend of the big snowstorm.

Playing with Daddy. She is a Daddy's girl already. In fact, I say, "Lily, say Mama." She says, "Dada." :)

Family picture.

We had to give her her first haircut!! Well, just her bangs. This is the "before" shot.

And after!

We hope everyone is well and enjoying the weather!

Almost crawling!!

2009-09-16T16:12:00.003-06:00

The End of Summer

2009-08-28T16:12:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! It has been awhile since I've had a new entry, and I figured I ought to give everyone an update.

Summer is officially over for us. Brian started teaching last Wednesday and I started the Master's program in Community Counseling at CSC on Monday. Needless to say, life is once again going to be hectic. The good news is that we are planning on closing on the Hemingford home on Tuesday, so that is quite a relief!

Lily has quite the little personality nowadays. In fact, I dare to say, she is almost naughty already! :) She loves to bounce in her jumperoo, hates to nap, and has already gotten two teeth! She is well over 17 pounds now and is quite heavy as I lug her around in her car seat. She can sit up on her own pretty well, is dabbling in fruits and vegetables, and loves to drink water out of Mommy and Daddy's cups. She's not crawling yet, (thankfully) but is rolling around in both directions, so I believe we are not very far from that milestone.

Here are some pictures from the summer--hope you all are well and enjoy seeing Lily growing up!

She loves nothing more than be carried around on her Daddy's shoulder--dare I say she is Daddy's girl already?? :)

Here is a family picture of us at the Gompert Family Picnic in early August

Too cute! On her 6 month birthday!

Playing with one of her many toys...

Here she is preparing for football season--you know she has to be a Husker!!

Love,

Brian, Erica, and Lily

The last month in review

2009-07-05T20:12:00.005-06:00

Hey there!

The month of June has come and gone--it is truly amazing how quickly life has started moving for us!! Over the last month we have concentrated on getting more things moved into the new house, helped get Barb settled into her new home, and watched Lily grow bigger and more rambunctious by the day!

Over the last month Lily has started rolling around more, has learned how to put her feet in her mouth, and eats rice cereal like a pro. The only "bad" things that she has developed are stranger anxiety and crying HARD when she is sleepy.

We took her to an opthamologist in June, and he informed us that her hemangioma does not seem to be affecting any part of her vision at this point. He confirmed that surgery should be the last option for us and said that he would just like to see her in three months to check her again. We also took her to her GP, who has been measuring the bump every month, and it has stayed the same size since the beginning of June, which is good news!

At her appointment on July 2, she weighed 14 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 25 1/2 inches long. She is getting really heavy for me to lug around in her car seat!! :)

Here are some pictures of her over the last month--you can really see her personality start to shine through!

Big blue eyes!

She sucks her thumb!

(She loves her thumb!! She also LOVES to suck or chew on anything she can get her hands on!)

Yesterday was Independence Day and we went to my parents' house for their annual 4th of July block party. We were a little worried that Lily would be afraid of the noise and that the bugs would eat us alive, but all was well! Lily hardly fussed the entire night and the noise didn't faze her. She loved watching the big fireworks go off in the sky and probably wondered what kind of world she had suddenly entered!

Here are some pictures from the party:

Here she is watching all the people and trying to figure out what all the racket was about...

Here are Brian and I smiling for the camera :)

And here is Miss Lily all dressed up and ready to go!

We will be leaving for Cleveland to visit Brian's brother and sister in law on Tuesday. I can't say I am looking forward to the flight with a baby who can't sit still, but it will be nice for Lily to FINALLY meet her other uncle and aunt!! We are glad they will be able to meet her while she still has some "little" baby in her :)

Hope this note finds everyone else in good spirits and health!

Love,

Brian, Erica, and Lily ♥

4 Months!!

2009-06-05T22:33:00.004-06:00

Can you believe that Lily is now 4 months old? It seems like the first year of her life is flying by!!

On Wednesday, we took her to her 4 month old well-baby check up. She is growing like a weed! She weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces (50th percentile) and was 25 inches long (75th percentile). Her doctor was very satisfied with her growth rate and said she is doing wonderfully :)

Here are some recent pictures:

Getting some love from Mommy

Hanging out with Daddy

What?

First time at the Zoo with Daddy--the sun made her sleepy!

A Complete 180

2009-05-28T11:01:00.005-06:00

Today, Lily was supposed to have surgery to remove her hemangioma.

We were assured that this was not a "major" surgery, although, to us, any surgery would be serious. Over the last week and a half, we prepared ourselves for the worst and hoped for the best. We had the typical concerns and worries: would she react to anesthesia? would she bleed too much? what if the unthinkable happens? We were not thrilled by the thought of her going under the knife by any means; however, at the urging of the neurosurgeon, we came to understand that this "tumor" was something that needed to excised promptly. He gave us three primary reasons: the tumor is fast growing and could affect her vision, the size of the hemangioma is already distorting her eyebrow, and cosmetically, if would be more "appropriate" to remove the bump than to let it continue to grow.

With these things pointed out to us, we were in agreement. We did not want our beautiful little girl to ever even have the possibility of losing her vision. We also are very tired of going into public and having people comment, "Oh! Did she bump her head?" Every time someone asks me this, I feel frustrated. After all, she's not even four months old--she's not mobile, so how would she bump her head? Unless, of course, I somehow dropped her or something...

So, having accepted surgery, we began to look forward to her no longer having a big bump on her brow. I did not feel like I was prepared to see her in the recovery room after surgery, possibly in pain and attached to wires and tubes, but we felt like our options had been explained and this was the best possible course of action.

Yesterday, we packed up the car and drove nearly four hours to Denver. We arrived at Children's Hospital and took Lily to the lab, where they drew four vials of blood to cross type her in case she needed a transfusion. An hour later, we were back up in the neurosurgery department, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our neurosurgeon. We were told that we would also be meeting with the plastic surgeon today, and he would determine if Lily needed a CT to see if the hemangioma had distorted her bone.

After waiting and waiting, the two doctors and a nurse finally entered the room. The plastic surgeon strode up to Lily and looked at her bump and said, "Yup, this is exactly what I thought it was--a hemangioma. Doing surgery at her age would be very risky--the thing would bleed like crazy." He then explained the natural progression of a hemangioma. He said that, by 9 months it would probably stop getting bigger and slowly start the process of involution, where it would recede back into the skin. By 5, this process is usually complete. Because of this, he said he would not even consider surgery on her until she was at least a first grader. He said that she may need a minor cosmetic surgery to repair loose or stretched skin. Then he patted her on the head and said, "She'll be fine. She's a pretty baby."

I was in shock. We were not expecting this. The neurosurgeon was apologetic, although we were never really detailed about why he wanted to operate immediately only to have someone tell us otherwise. We were also frustrated. This was the fifth doctor we had seen and ALL of them had given us a different diagnosis or a different method of treating it--how do we know who is right? We are reminding ourselves that we took her to the best hospital, and the plastic surgeon stated that he had seen these for the past 40 years. He did recommend that we make an appointment with the vascular malformation clinic, and said that if it got bigger it could be treated with steroids (which we don't particularly like). He said that at this point, however, he would not do anything to treat her.

We are tired. Tired of doctors and tired of travelling. We were mad that we had travelled so far and even more angry that they failed to stop the lab techs from drawing her blood if they knew the surgery was going to be cancelled. We decided we aren't going to waste any more time on this and put Lily through appointment after appointment. I feel a complex range of emotions--disappointed that she still has have a bump on her head, relieved that she didn't have surgery, worried about how children will treat her when she gets older...eventually we will come to terms with this.

Going to the Children's Hospital and seeing many sick children reminded us that we should be grateful that Lily does not have something much more serious. So many things could have happened, so, at least the one thing that did happen is not a major health concern. We seek solace in this fact, along with the knowledge that we have a very beautiful (despite the bump), healthy, and happy baby girl.

Medical Update

2009-05-21T23:06:00.006-06:00

On Thursday, May 14, we took Lily out to The Children's Hospital in Denver for her MRI. She is truly a little trooper! The MRI itself was not a wonderful experience. Lily was "supposed" to take a bottle and then sleep through her MRI--well, she wasn't very sleepy :) Luckily for us, the MRI tech had another patient after Lily, and allowed us to try again afterwards. About 5 minutes before he came back (it was around 10:00 PM) she finally crashed out and, to our amazement, slept through the 25 minute test!! It was the nosiest machine...only a baby could sleep through something like that!

We had our consult with the neurosurgeon the next day. He has determined that what we thought was a cyst, isn't. The MRI showed that her bump is actually a solid mass, so he believes that she most likely (although he can't be 100% positive) has a deep tissue or cavernous hemangioma. Essentially, this is a tumor that affects the blood vessels, which explains why her bump has been changing colors and growing so rapidly. Most hemangiomas are outside the skin and look strawberry colored--these don't typically require surgery. However, because her's is deep and located near the eye--and growing so quickly--the neurosurgeon recommended that we do surgery as soon as possible. He has assured us that it is not a "major" surgery, since the hemangioma does not go through the skull into the brain, and the biggest risk is bleeding, so they will have a pint of blood on hand in case she needs a transfusion. A plastic surgeon will assist in the surgery and assures us that scarring will be minimal, so we are hoping for the best. For those of you who would like to read more, here is a link: http://www.birthmark.org/hemangiomas.php

Her surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am on May 28th. Keep her in your thoughts...

Happy Days!!

2009-05-10T18:24:00.004-06:00

Hello all!

Much has happened in the short time that I last wrote--Lily is now 3 months old, as of May 4, and graduation has come and gone (thank goodness!!).

Lily is doing very well, still growing like a weed and getting happier by the day. Here are some of the milestones that she has reached in the last few months:

-She is now sleeping through the night (which we love)

-She is smiling lots and lots

-She is reaching and sometimes successfully grabbing toys

-She plays with a rattle

-Holds her head up when supported

-Sits up when propped up

-Carries on a "conversation"

-Lifts her head up all the way when on her tummy

-Sticks out her tongue and tries to razz

-She lap "stands"

-And many other things that are currently escaping my mind!!

Here are some adorable pictures of Lily on her 3-month birthday:

Smiling for Mommy in the morning :)

Having SO much fun!!

Graduation and Ivy Day (the honors ceremony) took place on Friday and Saturday of this weekend. I am so glad to be done!!! At Ivy Day I was awarded with my "honors" medal for graduating Summa Cum Laude and also with an award for being an outstanding student in psychology, which was a great surprise!! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and one that I am so happy to have over with :)

Here are some graduation day pictures:

Getting ready to accept my diploma!

With Mom and Dad after the ceremony

With my beautiful family after arriving home from a long weekend!

My Grandma Cindy from Texas has also been here since Wednesday and got to see me walk across stage and meet Lily for the first time--I'm so happy that she was able to fly up here!!

What are my plans now? I'm am taking a break :) Brian will be off for the summer, so we are planning on having some much needed family togetherness. We will also be finishing our move (and hoping our house sells) and redecorating the new place--so I'm sure there will be much work involved :) Eventually, I plan on going back for my Master's degree, probably through Chadron State's Community Counseling program--probably in the Spring of 2010, although we'll see how the rest of this year goes first.

Hope everyone is doing well--and Happy Mother's Day for all the Mom's out there!

A Small "Bump" in the Road

2009-04-30T14:46:00.006-06:00

Hello again! A LOT of things have happened since the last time I posted. Lily is getting SO big and cuter by the day! (If that is even possible :) )
I know I had mentioned that she had a bump on her head the last time, which her doctor believed to be a sebaceous cyst. He thought the bump would eventually go away on its own, but we noticed that it seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. So, being the worry-warts that we are, we decided to make an appointment with a dermatologist in Cheyenne to make sure that it would go away and that it was correctly diagnosed. We had done our own research and were convinced that it was a different kind of cyst.
The day we travelled to Cheyenne, they were getting slammed with a blizzard. There was probably 8 inches of slushy snow on the roads in town--scary! Thankfully, we all arrived in one piece. :) The dermatologist confirmed our concerns, and told us that the cyst on Lily's eyebrow is actually a dermoid cyst, which is more common than sebaceous cysts in children. Dermoid cysts are composed of skin and hair cells, and, because of an infection risk, they must always be surgically removed.
We were not too surprised, although unhappy, to hear this news. The dermatologist did, however, inform us that there is a slight (although unlikely) chance that, since the cyst is near her midline, it could be connected to her brain. Therefore, we had to schedule an MRI at the Denver Children's Hospital to make sure. If this is the case, a neurosurgeon, rather than a plastic surgeon, will do the procedure. We have an appointment for the MRI on May 14, with a doctor consultation the next day. Regardless, because of a the anesthesia risk, the surgery will be done in Denver. They will also probably wait until she is 6 or 9 months old to do it.

Here is a picture of her cyst

In other (happy) news, we have officially made the transition to Scottsbluff. We moved in last Thursday, and are finally all settled in! It feels so nice to be able to live in town and run errands quickly!

Graduation is now 9 days away--thank goodness! I will be graduating Summa Cum Laude (which means I have a 4.0) on Saturday, May 9, 2009, at 10:00 am in Chadron. It has been a long-awaited day!! I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that an article I submitted to a school publication called "Outside the Lines" is being published and placed 3rd (which is nice, because there is a cash prize!). Other than that, I am just living day by day, taking care of the little one and finishing up with finals. My grandma from Texas will be here for graduation and we can't wait for her to finally meet Miss Lily!

Brian is also coming to the end of his teaching year. His final week is the week after my graduation. He will be "done" on the 15th, and then have a few teacher days the following week. On May 23 we will all be flying to Ohio, along with Grandma Barb, to visit Brian's brother Darin and his wife Lisa. Then--BRING ON SUMMER BREAK!!!

Here are some more pictures to enjoy:

Pretty girl!

Lily, right before a big smile! (Smiles are hard to get on camera)

Her, realizing that I am trying to get her to smile for the camera--no way, Mom.

She will always be Daddy's precious girl!

Playing with Daddy

2009-04-07T14:24:00.002-06:00

And another month goes by...

2009-04-03T19:24:00.003-06:00

Hey folks! Sorry that I've been a bit lax about writing lately...things are busy! I've been "meaning" to get to the blog, but it seems like something else (homework, showers, diapers, bottles, pets) always comes first!!

We have all been doing fairly well lately. Brian is busily teaching and I am working on getting through this last month of college--almost done! We are both VERY ready for summer. We have decided that we will be moving to Scottsbluff in May, which I am very excited about. Brian is also ready to get out of the crowded house, as well as putting fewer miles on his vehicle--which is pretty close to death, I think. Hopefully we will not have to buy a new car anytime soon.

Miss Lily is growing like a weed! We had her 2 month well-baby check up on April 2nd and her 2-month immunizations on the 1st. The shots were probably harder for me than for her! It is so terrible to watch your baby get poked and hurt when you know she doesn't understand why....but we know it's the best thing we can do for her.

At her appointment, Dr. Papenfus said she is growing normally. She is still in the 21st percentile for height and weight, weighing in at 9 pounds, 9 ounces, and 21 1/2 inches long. She is hitting all of her developmental milestones, although she is a little shy about her smile. She has smiled at both of us a few times though, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just gas! Other than that, we have discovered that she has a cyst on the corner of her eyebrow. Originally, a doctor at Urgent Care said it was an infected hair follicle, but her doctor said that it is probably a sebaceous cyst. He thinks it may get a little bigger, but then will probably resolve on its own. We hope so, since he mentioned surgery would leave a large scar on her face.

Lily has had a couple of "play dates" (which is really time for mommy to get some adult interaction) with the triplets and with another of Mommy's friend's little girl. She usually sleeps the whole time. :)

Here are some cute pictures from the last month:

Look at me! I can hold my own Baba...

After a night of heavy milk drinking...

Sleeping with my Daddy...my favorite spot, the big bed!

I love bath time!

The whole happy family!

I will try to write more often. Stay tuned for updates and I hope all is well!

Another Week--and a Whole Month!!

2009-03-06T17:48:00.003-07:00

Hello, hello!

Well, another week (plus a few days) has past. On Wednesday I got two phone calls--one from Brian and one from Grandma Barb--reminding me that it was Miss Lily's birthday...that's right, she is a whole month old already!

I definitely cannot believe that a month has past since I gave birth--in fact, sometimes I have to remind myself that Lily is here and I am not pregnant anymore :) Here are some pictures of our beautiful little one:

Straight out of the tub!

Betcha can't tell I enjoy my food!

For Daddy--Baby Power!! :)

In other news, we are pretty much just plugging along--I have survived midterm week and now have a whole week off (of course, I will still be doing homework). Brian is just entering his midterm week on Monday, so the following week will be his break. We are still suffering from sleep deprivation, but, as you can tell, Lily is much to cute to get frustrated with :) We did get Lily's portraits yesterday, so stay tuned for them--I'll try to post the best ones soon.

Here is Lily on her 1 Month birthday--as she is clearly saying, Peace Out!!

This is what I look like as I stare at Mommy :)

A Quick Update

2009-02-25T13:56:00.003-07:00

Lily is 3 Weeks old today. She had a well-baby check-up yesterday. The Dr. said that she was doing really well and growing! She now weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces (which is up a pound from her birth weight) and is 20 1/2 inches long (which is an inch an a half longer than her birth height!). There are no signs of jaundice anymore, so she is a healthy baby! The doctor also said that she was now "on the map" with her weight and height falling in the 21st percentile--not too bad, considering that today, February 25, was the day that she was supposed to be due! Hard to believe that she's been here for three weeks already!

Here are some pictures from the last week:

Ahh...sleep. Look at all my hair!

Daddy thinks I look like Mommy in this picture--Go Morrill! :)

How can you not LOVE this face?

Me--Mimicking Daddy's favorite "pondering" pose...

2 Weeks Old!

2009-02-18T15:44:00.007-07:00

As hard as it is for Mommy and Daddy to believe, Lily is 2 weeks old today. She is currently a VERY happy eater, eating about 2 1/2 ounces every three hours or so. She sleeps pretty well, although she sometimes likes to stay up and "play" at three in the morning. Mommy is diligently working on breaking her of that habit. :)

Here are some pictures from the last week or so:

I love to have my hands by my face. When I'm swaddled, I make sure to make as much noise as I can until I can put them in my mouth!

Don't I have a great head of hair?

Peaceful Sleeper :)

My Mommy and Daddy love when I open my big, bright eyes!

This is a video of me waiting for my bottle. Mommy and Daddy always take WAY too long to get it ready! I try to be patient, but, after three whole hours of waiting, it is hard not to cry!

In other news, Lily will be getting her very first professional portraits taken tomorrow. We are excited to make some baby announcements so that we can show her off to the whole world. Brian has been back to work for a week now--he is coping relatively well, considering he is definitely running on a sleep deficit. I am doing fairly well, only feeling slightly overwhelmed by homework, housework, and dirty diapers. Brian has had a cold for the last two days, so I am definitely looking forward to him getting better, so that he can take over a few more baby duties--and I know that he is very eager to hold his little girl again! (I am a little paranoid about germs, and probably will be for a few months. Bare with me--we just don't want a sick baby!)

Lily Clare Croft has Arrived

2009-02-13T18:54:00.007-07:00

Hey everyone!
The last time I wrote, I told you that on Wednesday, February 4th, Lily was officially "allowed" to make her appearance, since I would be 37 weeks and she would be considered full-term. Well, she apparently took my words to heart, because that is the exact day she chose to arrive :)

Here is what happened: On Tuesday, February 3rd, I had my regular weekly check-up. Mary, our midwife, did her usual check and told me that I had definitely made some change, from 1 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced, to 2-3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She also said that, since I would be 37 weeks the next day, I was allowed to stop taking my anti-contraction medicine and could get off bed rest.

This news, of course, made me pretty excited. I tried to get her to tell me how soon she thought that I would go into labor, but she would make no predictions. She said it could be within the week, but some women stay that dilated for two to three weeks. Nonetheless, I couldn't help smiling at Brian, who was also feeling somewhat excited by the news, as we walked out of the building.

That night, when we got home, I started to get a really persistent backache. I played with the idea that it might be early labor, but figured that I only "wanted" it to be, because I knew that labor was starting to be a real possibility. So instead, I popped a Tylenol and went to bed. All night long, my back continued to hurt, but it was a constant pain, not one that came in regular intervals.

The next morning, Brian went to work in Alliance like normal. I woke up and still didn't feel very well, but managed to force down a bowl of cereal. I decided that, since I was finally off bed rest, I'd walk down to the mail box to check the mail. As I was walking, I noticed A LOT of pressure, but, again, just figured that Lily was dropping down even further. Finally fed up of the back pain, I decided to take a bath to see if it would help.

As soon as I got out, my water broke. It was 11:45 a.m. I had a moment of panic, where I called Brian and told him he had to come home now! Then, I took a breath and started to get all of the bags and car seat ready to go. Brian got home about 25 minutes later and we loaded up the pets and started the 55 mile drive to the hospital.

The pain was not too bad at this point. I was getting mild back contractions every 2-3 minutes. We arrived in Scottsbluff, dropped the pets off at Brian's mom's house, and headed to the Birth and Infant Care Center. It was about 1:00 p.m. I was convinced I didn't need a wheel chair, although as soon as I started walking I realized I was leaving a water trail (which was somewhat embarrassing), so I ended up getting pushed to the delivery room anyway.

When we arrived, I was still 3 centimeters dilated. There were two other women who were in labor, and they were screaming bloody murder. This made me nervous! The nurse actually told me to turn the TV on if I wanted to drown out the noise...Within the hour, I started to have really intense, really painful back contractions. This was the point where I told Brian I didn't want to do this :) They gave me some pain medicine that seemed to help the contractions get shorter, although they were still coming pretty close together (about every two minutes, lasting for 45 seconds). Two hours after we arrived, I was 5-6 cm. About an hour after that, I was already at 10 and ready to push! As soon as I heard this, I was ready for action!

Our midwife arrived at this point, and said, "See? This is why I don't make predictions!" 58 minutes later, I pushed Lily out into the world. Surprisingly, this was a very fun experience. There was only about 30 seconds of pain as Lily's head was crowning. As soon as she was completely out, she began to cry. Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord, and actually splattered cord blood on my face and the wall paper above the bed :)

Here are her stats:

Lily Clare Croft

Born 6:17 P.M

6 lbs, 7.9 oz

19 inches long

I am told that I am very lucky to have only had a 6 hour labor...I agree! Here are some pictures of Lily's first moments...

Right after she came out!

I could not have been happier ....

Our first family photo

Daddy was immediately in love...

Snoozing on Mommy

We were released from the hospital on Friday, the 6th. Unfortunately, Lily developed jaundice, which is not unusual in a baby born 3 weeks early. We had to keep her under bilirubin lights all weekend, which was very difficult for me and Brian, since we couldn't really pick her up and hold her. We also had to get her heal pricked for a blood draw everyday :( However, as of Thursday the 12th, she is jaundice free--although she is still working the yellow out of her system.

I have had very little pain, and am just coping with the change in my sleep schedule. Brian is an amazing daddy. He gets up with me at every feeding, makes a bottle, and helps change her diaper. We attempted breastfeeding for a little over a week, but Lily had too much trouble latching on, as well as getting confused about drinking flow since she was put on supplemental formula with a bottle for the jaundice. I, unfortunately, couldn't get much help up here in Hemingford...it was really hard for me to decide to stop trying, since I know how beneficial breastfeeding is for a baby, but the stress was more than I could take and getting her weight up is really important. I'm sure this decision will haunt me for awhile, but I pray she will thrive despite it.

When I find the time, I will continue to keep everyone updated. Stay tuned for more pictures!

We are getting close!

2009-02-01T20:13:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone! I decided it was time for another update.

Wednesday marks Week 37 in our pregnancy journey. This is very exciting for me because it means two things: First, and most importantly, Lily will now be considered a "full-term" baby and is safe to arrive at any time; second, I get to finally get off bedrest and stop taking my anti-contraction medicine.

We are having difficulty imagining the fact that she has the potential of being here so soon! But, I have finally reached that point where I am "ready" to give birth...I am not so afraid of the idea as I was before :) In fact, I cannot WAIT to not be pregnant anymore! And we cannot wait to meet our beautiful little girl!

As of today, we have 24 days until her due date...so it may take that much longer. Regardless, we are excited to find out what day she will arrive and can relax knowing that she should be a chubby and healthy little girl :)

Lily's Journey

2009-01-28T22:19:00.002-07:00

A Little Update

2009-01-18T14:12:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since we've posted anything, so I figured that I ought to update everyone on our happenings.

We had a little scare with Lily on the 8th that resulted in an overnighter at the hospital. At this point, it looks like everything will probably be okay, but I have been prescribed bed rest and Procardia to stop contractions until I reach Week 37...it is no fun, but it is worth it if it means that we will have a healthy and beautiful little girl! The doctors performed a fetal fibromectin test when I was almost 34 weeks--the test indicates whether or not I will likely go into labor in the next two weeks, which the doc's were worried about because I was having painless contractions every minute and a half. Luckily, it came back negative, so there is only about a 1% chance that I will have her before I am 36 weeks. We were grateful for that news! I am still required to go to the doctor more often, however, so they can check to make sure that the contractions are not causing any cervical changes. I am about 1 and 1/2 centimeters dilated and have been since Tuesday...so no changes yet, which is another good sign!

Otherwise, we are staying busy with school. Brian is getting back into the swing of things and I am eagerly trying to work ahead so that, when I DO go into labor, I won't have too much work to make up!

Hope everyone else is doing wonderful! Keep in touch :)

Lily's Room :)

2009-01-05T20:42:00.005-07:00

I thought I would post pictures of Lily's room for everyone who is unable to come up here and see the nursery's progress...

Here is a good picture of the bedding's design

Her pretty car seat and bassinet :)

Her stylin' new ride...

Brian loves buying baby toys...I think he will end up playing with them more than she will. This is a picture of the crib, just awaiting a baby!

More of the room

The entire crib shot

The changing table

We are doing well. Brian goes back to work on Wednesday and I start classes again on Monday. This semester should be much easier for both of us--I am only taking 12 hours online (all that's needed to graduate!) and they are mostly lower-level electives, so it should feel much easier than last semester. Brian is teaching his normal 16 credit hours, so he will have a lighter load as well :)

Lily seems to be doing well. I am able to feel her different baby parts when I poke my belly now, a sign that she must be growing well...not to mention I am getting rather large :) We have another appointment tomorrow, and continue to see the midwife every other week until we reach week 37, then we will begin to have weekly appointments. We are also starting our prenatal classes on Thursday, and we are both interested in seeing what they will be like.

That's about all the news in our world...I'll write more later.

Ringing in the New Year

2008-12-31T19:17:00.004-07:00

It is SO hard to believe that it will be 2009 in a matter of hours!! This year has been one of immense change for Brian and I: 2008 started off with an engagement :) and culminated into a summer wedding and, albeit a little earlier than we had planned, the news that we would be welcoming a baby into the world in February 2009...

Despite all of the chaos and change, we are definitely looking forward to the upcoming year. I know I speak for both of us when I say that each day brings us more and more excitement (and some apprehension) as we think about Lily and dream about what she will look like.

In other news, we are both enjoying our break very much. Christmas was great, with the usual delicious smorgasbord of Mexican food at my parents' house on Christmas day. We spent the 26th with Brian's family, opening up gifts and going out for a nice dinner. We also had the chance to catch up with Brian's brother and sister-in-law--Darin and Lisa--which was great, considering we had not seen them since the wedding.

Today is my birthday and, despite the fact that I tried to convince Brian that it is just like any other day, he insisted on cooking me a fancy dinner. His original plan was to make lobster, since I had never had it, but the store "forgot" to order it (although I'm not sure that it is a typical order in Alliance, NE). So, he reverted to plan b...here are some pictures:

As you can see, there is certainly no shortage of beef in Box Butte County, Nebraska :)

Brian said I could have first pick of the cut of meat. After attempting to eat the entire thing, I assured him that I thought there would be enough scraps left over to tide him over until breakfast time...:)

Tomorrow, January 1st, we will be headed down to Scottsbluff to watch the Huskers play in the Gator bowl--I know that Brian would want me to say this, so, just for him-- GO HUSKERS!!

Today also marks Week 32 in our pregnancy journey.

Here is our 8 month shot

And, for a change of scenery, here is a picture that actually shows my face :)

Brian and I are very grateful for what the past year has brought us and are very much looking forward to what the new year has to offer...we hope that your lives have been as happy and as blessed as ours!!

From Us to You--Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T21:18:00.003-07:00

Ho Ho Howdy-

Brian here, taking a turn at the keyboard after a LONG semester of grading (the less-desirable part of teaching.) We have finished our busiest half-year as a couple: Lily on the way, Erica taking 15 hours at CSC (she still has her 4.0!), and myself with six classes plus a lab (as I said, much grading.) We are, of course, thankful that we have what we do, especially with regard to the current economic climate.
Everyone is well up here in Box Butte County--Erica is plumping (Ha!) the critters keep each other on their toes, and, according to all we have heard from the docs, Lily is healthy and developing. After February, we will certainly have a full household. We wish you all the best, and hope for a safe and warm holiday for everybody!

Getting into the Holiday Spirit*

2008-12-03T19:36:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone :) Brian and I have slowly been getting into the holiday spirit. At first, we were both kind of disgusted by the fact that WalMart had their Christmas decorations out and were playing Christmas Carols--of course, that was the day after Halloween :) We finally got our tree up and are slowly putting up some decorations around the house. There aren't any presents under the tree as of yet--but I'm sure that will come too! Here are some pictures:

Our beautiful Christmas tree. It is a little hard to see the whole thing, because we had to put it in the office, but in real life, it is gorgeous--even if it is fake! Ajax still tries to eat (and climb) the fake tree, so I bet it is better that it isn't real...

We bought Koda this hat in an attempt to get her to wear it for our Christmas photo--she would rather eat the snowball on the end. However, she was sleepy, so I managed to get this one shot :)

We are still waiting for the semester to be over...each day brings us closer! Today marks the beginning of the third trimester for me--28 weeks or 7 months! Hard to believe!

7 months!

Yes, those are some beautiful stretch marks crawling up my side--guess they are unavoidable :) Hope you are all well!

Thanksgiving Happenings

2008-11-29T18:33:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We spent our Thanksgiving down in the valley, going to a lunch at my family's and a later lunch at Brian's. Needless to say, it was a bit of a turkey overload! But, overall, it was a very enjoyable time :) We both enjoyed a two day break from school and grading, which made the holiday that much sweeter.
Because we stayed in Scottsbluff, we brought the pets along--here are some funny pics:

Ajax says: I know there is a big bird coming to the house...I'll be sure to let him in!

Koda says: Not if I get him first!

This is what happens when you eat too much turkey ^--naptime anyone?

Hopefully everyone will have a great holiday season. Much to Brian's chagrin, I took him around to some of the local shops on Black Friday--however, it was not overly enjoyable for him, so Christmas shopping has been minimal thus far. :)

We are doing well otherwise. On Wednesday I will be 28 weeks--the 7 month and 3rd trimester marker. We have our next appointment on December 9th, when I will also be doing my glucose tolerance test to test for Gestational Diabetes. Cross your fingers that all that pecan pie that I ate this week did not send my blood sugar through the roof!! :) Baby Lily is doing well--we had the baby shower on November 16--needless to say, the child is spoiled already!!! :) I'm afraid it is inevitable....

That's about all the new news from the Croft household. Will post more later...

Baby Belly :)

2008-11-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

For everyone who wants to see how the baby is growing (and, of course, how I am growing!!) I thought I'd post my monthly belly shots---
Here you go!

This one is 12 weeks (3 months)

This one is 16 weeks (4 months)

20 weeks (5 months)

And, the most recent belly shot--24 weeks (6 months)

It just keeps growing!!

November Blizzard! Part II

2008-11-07T16:03:00.001-07:00

I thought I would attach some more pictures of the blizzard. These are from today, the day after the storm finished. Brian attempted to go to work, but, as you can tell, there was something in the road preventing him from doing so!

The drift!

It was as tall as the car!

The bulldozed right through it!

Don't think he's gonna make it...

November Blizzard!

2008-11-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

Brian and I woke up this morning to a very unpleasant snowstorm---watch and be cold! :)

Brrr...!

Welcome to our blog!

2008-11-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

On our wedding day

Brian and I have officially decided that, since everybody in the free world seems to have a blog, it is time for us to catch up!

We are both having an extremely busy semester. Brian is teaching full-time at WNCC, splitting his days between the Alliance and Scottsbluff sites. He is teaching an overload of courses this year, and, putting it nicely, is very tired of grading comp papers!

I am in the Fall semester of my senior year at CSC, working toward my psychology degree. This semester has been very busy with senior research projects and papers, but I am definitely beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel--thank goodness!

For those of you who don't know, Brian and I were married on July 10, 2008 in Scottsbluff. We had a private, family ceremony in Brian's Mom's back yard--it was beautiful!

The most exciting news for us is that we are expecting our little one in February. My due date is Feb. 25, 2009--which puts me at about 6 months pregnant. Thankfully, after a rough first trimester, I am feeling pretty good! Now, if only that can continue until the end... :)

We found out at our 20 week ultrasound that we are having a baby girl, which is what I was crossing my fingers for! We are both getting more and more excited, with a little nervousness thrown in there as well!